Jeff Schudel: Browns' ship has a lot of leaks

New York Jets inside linebacker David Harris (52) and Dawan Landry (26) tackle Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Cooper (88) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

It is difficult to not overreact to that pathetic excuse of a football game the Browns played Sunday in the building that will be the site of this season’s Super Bowl.
Coach Rob Chudzinski could at least say his team played hard in back-to-back losses to the Patriots and Bears. He could not and did not try to make that claim to reporters grilling him after losing 24-13 to the Jets on Sunday.
The Browns have lost six straight and nine of 10 games. The loss at MetLife Stadium was the worst of the season. By far. Nothing encouraging came from it. Nothing.
Joe Haden and the rest of the defense could not wait to get their hands on the balls thrown by Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith. Smith entered the game with 10 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions.
The Browns made Smith look like Joe Montana as Smith continually hit open receivers on quick slants. They made no interceptions. They gave up two touchdown passes by Smith to David Nelson, who was in the Browns’ training camp but cut after playing in only the final preseason game because he battled injuries most of camp. Smith rushed 17 yards for another touchdown.
At least the Browns did not give up the lead in fourth quarter as they did each of the three weeks before. But that is only because the score was 10-10 when the final period started.
In what has become the trademark of the group coached by defensive coordinator Ray Horton, however, the Browns did give up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. One was a 13-play, 80-yard drive ending in a five-yard pass to Nelson. The other, as the Browns were trying to get the ball back trailing, 17-13, was a 14-play, 81-yard drive that ended with Smith’s touchdown run.
Again, the Browns were horrible defensively at the end of the first half. They led, 10-0, with 1:30 left in the second quarter. By halftime it was 10-10. The touchdown drive was 80 yards. The Browns gave up three 80-yard touchdown drives to the offense ranked 30th in the NFL.
Browns’ opponents have scored 53 points on 11 drives in the final two minutes of the first half in eight of the last nine games.
This is from an organization that is promising its fans bigger and better scoreboards next year.
The disconcerting thing is the front office used the 2013 offseason to fortify the defense. It signed free-agent linebacker Paul Kruger, end Desmond Bryant, cornerback Chris Owens and linebacker Quentin Groves. Kruger is the only one from the group still standing because the rest are injured or, in Owens’ case, no longer on the team. The first four draft picks play defense.
The Browns’ defense allowed 41 touchdowns last season and has allowed 40 this season with one game left. They’ve allowed 28 passing touchdowns, one more than opponents scored through the air on the Browns last year.
Switching to a 3-4 defense from the 4-3 used in 2011-12 is an unacceptable explanation. Opponents scored two passing touchdowns through the first five games when the defense might have been working through the transition. At that time, the Browns were 3-2 and tied for first in the AFC North.
The plan had to be to use the 2014 offseason on the offense because that side of the ball needs so much, but the defense is filled with holes, too.
Jason Campbell is playing himself off the team. Just two weeks ago, he played well enough against the Patriots — not a very good defensive team — to maybe be in the plans for next season. But he threw two more interceptions against the Jets.
No one expected Geno Smith to outplay Campbell, but the rookie did.
The Browns need a quarterback, a running back, at least one more wide receiver to play with Josh Gordon and at least two offensive lineman. They will need a new center if they can’t re-sign Alex Mack.
That leads us to another question. Why would Mack and free agent to be T.J. Ward want to re-up with the Browns, unless the Browns want to overpay?
Mack and Ward, the fourth-year safety, might run out the door when they clean out their lockers Dec. 30 after the season ends on Dec. 29 in Pittsburgh.
Fans have given up, too. At halftime I tweeted, with the score 10-10, asking followers to predict a final score. Forty-seven responded, and not one predicted the Browns would win.
“I bear all the responsibility,” Chudzinski told reporters after the game. “I’m the head coach of this team. Ultimately this is on me and I’m committed to get it right.”
The head coach has a lot of sleepless nights ahead of him, and not just because a new baby is in the Chudzinski home.

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About the Author

Jeff has covered the Cleveland Browns since 1981. He also covers the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League and the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League. Reach the author at jschudel@morningjournal.com
or follow Jeff on Twitter: @JSBrownsInsider.